A Day in Seattle

We had such a great day. Arvin, Helena, Steve and I met Dave in Mount Vernon and piled into his van for a trip to Seattle. We were going to meet Michael Hiltzik, author of a new book called "Big Science." 

As soon as I learned his email address, I sent Michael an email to let him know how much I am enjoying his book and to suggest he might want to read my mother's self-published book called "The Atom and Eve" about family life in Los Alamos during the making of the atomic bomb. He replied immediately and expressed interest in Mom's book. He also mentioned that he would be giving a lecture in Seattle in less than a week. I marshaled the gang and we arranged to take him to dinner before the lecture. Our friends Chris and Jyl would meet us for dinner.

So down we went and landed at the waterfront where we ate lunch and then headed into the sculpture park for a walk. We touched base with Chris and Michael and would have driven to an elegant Italian restaurant for an early dinner except that Seattle experienced its worst traffic jam ever just as we started to drive to the restaurant. We aborted and went to Plan B which was to eat at a great sushi restaurant within walking distance of the Town Hall where Michael gave his lecture.

Jyl was sick so she couldn't come but the rest of us had a great quick dinner together and some some really fine Japanese food. Then we all walked to the hall to hear Michael give a fascinating speech about the birth of the cyclotron and Ernest Lawrence's career. (Chris went off to a jazz lesson instead so we said good evening to him before we walked to the hall.) Dave, Steve and I were especially interested in the talk because Earnest Lawrence is our uncle. He married our mother's sister Molly and we all grew up in Berkeley, California so we saw the Lawrence family often. Michael also mentioned Dad several times because he was one of the members of Lawrence's team at Berkeley. Those were amazing years and I met quite a few famous and interesting physicists as I was growing up. All of us really enjoyed the gathering. Michael Hiltzik is a very nice and interesting fellow and I think he enjoyed our company too. 

Dave drove us home and Steve took the Bellingham contingent up the last bit to Bellingham. It was a wonderful day for me. No responsibilities. Relaxing time in the city even with that traffic jam. A fascinating lecture. And recognition for my dad and my uncle. Oh and I gave Michael a copy of Mom's book to read and return or keep if he wanted to have it in his library. It was a great day.